Three Candidates Recommended for Part-Time Human Rights Commissioner; Awaiting Presidential Appointment

Recommendation Committee Nominates Kim Minmoonjeong, Park Oksun, and Lee Hangyeol as Candidates
President Lee Required to Appoint Successor Within 30 Days of Vacancy

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has recommended three candidates to the President to succeed Lee Hanbyul, the part-time Human Rights Commissioner, whose term is nearing its end.

On June 16, the Candidate Recommendation Committee of the National Human Rights Commission announced the recommended candidates to succeed Commissioner Lee: Kim Minmoonjeong, former Executive Director of the Korean Women's Associations United; Park Oksun, CEO of Disability and Human Rights Foot Action; and Lee Hangyeol, CEO of Gyeonggi Urido. Commissioner Lee's term will end on June 29.

National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The committee assessed that all three candidates are strongly committed to restoring the National Human Rights Commission of Korea as an institution aligned with international human rights standards, and possess a high level of understanding regarding the organization's structure and functions.

Regarding candidate Kim, the committee noted that her experience in various civil society coalition activities is expected to strengthen communication between the Commission and civil society and contribute to expanding the institution’s role. Candidate Park was recognized for presenting a concrete vision for driving organizational change through communication between commissioners and staff members. Lee, who has a disability, was expected to enhance the Commission’s diversity and representativeness by bringing the perspective of the younger generation, according to the committee.

The Candidate Recommendation Committee was organized under the supervision of the Presidential Secretariat. It consisted of seven members: three appointees designated by the President, three individuals from civil society organizations recommended by the Commission, and one recommended by the Korean Bar Association. The committee conducted an open call for candidates from May 28 to June 7, and after document screening and interviews, selected the final three nominees.

According to the National Human Rights Commission Act, the President must designate a successor within 30 days from the occurrence of a vacancy. The term for part-time commissioners is three years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.